Your Opinion on Power Savers and Their Effectiveness

[ChrisPSolar]

Hey folks, I was recently sent a Satic Power Saver by the company as a free sample. See a video demo here:

http://www.saticsaver.com/products.htm

They are hoping I will start recommending them for efficiency upgrades, as we do a lot of that as part of installs etc. So I tested it and it did reduce amperage a little on a few of my appliances. Nothing significant, but most of my stuff is new so we didn't expect it to have much impact. The Satic folks tell us its mostly for inductive loads, pumps and motors.

I have read some other electrical forums and people pretty much dismiss them as a scam, but they don't answer the basic question: have you used one and what is your experience?

I have no interest in the company, just interested in new technology etc. and would like to offer it if its for real.

The other forums all seem to say it will improve power factor but not reduce kw-hr consumption. But if amps are reduced, as I have seen, how can it NOT reduce kw-hr consumption?

I can't speak to it reducing power bills because I'm off grid and thought maybe you guys could tell your thoughts on it. Thanks as always...

[Mike90250]

I used a power factor corrector on my gas clothes dryer, and 4 years later the motor overheated and died. The grease in the bearings was set up like cement. Replacement cost me a LOT more than the power I "saved".
(note, this was in '83)

[Sunking]

It is a complete SCAM like HHO or WATER FOR GAS SCAM

For residential customers power companies DO NOT CHARGE for VARS, as it against the law.. Do not fall for it.

Here is the deal. There is a big difference between DC Power and AC Power. The difference is REACTIVE POWER (VARS) present in AC Power that is missing in DC power.

In DC power, POWER = Volts x Amps.

In AC power, power = Volts x Current x Cosine of the Angle (phase angle relationship between Voltage and Current).

What all that mumble jumble means is there are two kinds of power: Heat and Reactive. Heat is real power used, and Reactive is a product of the phase relationship of the voltage and current in inductive loads like motors which is reflected back into the distribution wiring and burned off as heat.

As a consumer the electric utilities cannot charge you for the Reactive power, only the heat or REAL POWER consumed. The meter on yur house is not capable of measuring REACTIVE POWER (VARS). It can only measure REAL POWER OR HEAT. To measure the reactive power you have to have very special expensive CT (current transformers) and PT transformers (Voltage) to determine the phase relationship between current and voltage.

Only large industrial customers who generate large amounts of reactive power get metered and charged out the WAZOO for reactive power use.

You as a residential customer do not generate enough VARS to amount to a fart in the wind for anyone to care about.

The only people making money off of power factor correction is the company who sold it to you; the SUCKER who fell for the SCAM.

The only thing about VARS you need to worry about is with a RE energy source with batteries using an AC inverter, but that is another topic for another day.

[russ]

Quote 'Less savings on Resistive loads (Bulbs, Flat Iron, Boiler, Heater and etc.)'

Maybe they mean less as in zero?

The whole site is scam city!

The one claim they may have missed is the lamps act as an aphrodisiac. (That is what makes moths come to a lamp by the way)

İ expect that if you keep one of these on in the garage (with your car) the mileage will improve by at least 20% - possibly more!